The Consequences Of The Black Death During The 14th Century

During the 14th century, Europe was struck by an epidemic known as the Black Death. Although the exact origins of the Black Death remain disputed by historians, it is believed that the illness was brought to Sicily, Italy by a Genoese merchant ship coming from Crimea in 1347. The illness is then believed to have spread through the Mediterranean Basin, into France, then Spain, Germany and the remaining majority of Europe (Gottfried, 1983: 55-76). Prior to the arrival of the Black Death in Europe, the continent had experienced a bad weather which had resulted in a famine as well as changes in the running of the agrarian industry and a growth of the middle class. Also, medicine had not yet developed into the entirely scientific field it is today; many medicinal remedies also relied on spiritual aid. This context contributes to some of the consequences left in the wake of the Black Death.
Historians suggest that the Black Death was a combination between the bubonic, septicaemic and pneumatic plagues believed to have been caused by a bacterium known as the yersinia pestis (formerly pasturella pestis) which is commonly found on rodents. The
Clergymen were seen as selfish and greedy for abandoning affected cities. This lead to people wanting to communicate directly with God outside of the limits of the Church and as a result of this, there was an increase in pagan religion and the practicing of religious rites outside of the church (Gottfried, 1983: 87-88). Another religious consequence was the Flagellant Movement. While it can be seen that flagellation, the act of beating or whipping oneself as religious punishment, existed long before the Black Death, it became a more organised religious movement during the 14th century after a series of natural disasters, including the illness, convinced some religious leaders that God was punishing man for their sins (Bowsky, 1978: